


Batman in the Sky

by SpyStories



Category: Batman Beyond, Batman: The Animated Series
Genre: Redemption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-10-03 10:45:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10243034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyStories/pseuds/SpyStories
Summary: This story is currently in progress...feedback and suggestions appreciated...The fifth dimension imps are up to their old tricks. Why can't they just let Batman rest in peace?





	

"Where am I?" 

Bruce Wayne looked around a cloud covered landscape. 

"Where do you think you are?" 

"I'm not sure. I went to sleep, and I---am I dead?" 

"Right you are, Batso!" 

Bruce heard the eerily familiar voice and turned around to see--the Joker. 

"And you're here, too? Oh boy, now I don't have the best feeling about this." 

"We haven't been given our clearances to go anywhere yet..." The Joker volunteered. 

"That makes me feel a little better."

"We're supposed to make our cases in front of those gold podiums" The Joker pointed to the podiums. 

I'm actually feeling a little sorry for you right now..." 

"Aw, Bats, so kind of you..." 

"Bruce Wayne, please go to podium." 

Bruce made his way to the podium. 

"How did you live your life?" 

"Well, I lived my life as Batman serving and protecting the innocent and weak. I protected heroes and villains, common folks and rich men, without asking for anything at all in return. I mentored sons and daughters and basically looked for any niche I could fill. As Bruce Wayne, I gave help to the poor and needy, funded defense technologies, and helped other people protect their lives and families." 

"That's wonderful, Mr. Wayne. We have no question where you are going." 

The audience stood up and clapped. Bruce was taken behind a white curtain. 

"...and now Jack Napier!" 

Bruce heard his name and was surprised; he had lived his whole life without figuring out who the Joker was. If he had a pencil and a piece of paper--what was he thinking about...he's supposed to be dead, right? If he was dead, though, what was the Joker doing still waiting to be processed? He died a long time before him, didn't he? A lot of things weren't exactly making sense. It would be priceless to try to watch the Joker justify himself, though, wouldn't it? He shouldn't have been thinking like that. He quietly disappeared behind the curtain, brushing away a worried bead of sweat for his old neighbor. 

"Jack, how did you live your life? What charitable deeds and good kindnesses did you do for everyone else?" 

"I'll be honest, I..., I..." 

The Joker trailed off and couldn't finish his speech; he was sweating profusely. 

"I lived my life as a psychopathic, maniac killer who was only out for myself and the love of fun. I guess that doesn't really put me through to the other side of the cloud covered curtain, but at least I told you the truth." The Joker hung his head and started crying. 

"Let's take a look for ourselves, ladies and gentlemen." 

They pulled out the book, found Jack Napier's name, and, well, it read a little like his rap sheet.

"Mr. Napier, it says here that you committed 2000 murders, crippled and maimed several people, skinned a man alive, boiled someone in acid...forced several people to complete armed robberies, stole a child's report card, embezzled money from several people, lied to an audience at a TV station...kicked a child's puppy...did you do anything good at all, ever?" 

Bruce heard the commotion from the other room and just buried his head in his hands, "he's getting what's coming to him; I can't help him now, can I?" Bruce was sure a Bat-a-rang would not be appropriate for this situation, but why did he have his Batman gear if he was supposed to be dead? Part of him wanted to make a move, but part of him wanted to see what the Joker was going to do. He had never heard old Jack cry before, but now he was wailing and begging. It would have been funny, but with him it was just pathetic. 

"Oh please, please, please, let me in. I promise I'll be good." 

"It says here that in addition to your thefts, lies, embezzlements, involvement with the mafia, and other sundry crimes, you paraded as a Gotham super villain called the Joker. As this creature, you committed hundreds of murders and lied your way into the insane asylum again and again. You were found to have super sanity, but that doesn't completely excuse you for your deeds." 

The Joker was slumped over himself crying. 

"I think you know the sentence." 

Suddenly a trap door of fire was opened. The flames came up and licked the floor. 

The Joker was sounding desperate. 

"Batman!" 

Bruce was listening from the other room. "I'm sorry, I can't save you now. I really can't. I tried to save you your whole life; why didn't you listen to me, then?" 

"Your friends can't save you now!" 

The Joker was lowered screaming into the fiery abyss. 

"Mr. Wayne, please, you have an appointment." 

Bruce walked up the stairs of a quiet pleasant white room. Something still didn't feel right, though. He wasn't sure he could exactly place it. There were shadows, and the stairway was getting a little bit darker and darker. It was fading to gray and now, pitch black. The lights came on suddenly. It looked like the bat cave? 

"And the academy award for best actor goes to..." The Joker trilled, "and to think, I bet you thought you were finally rid of me, Batsy." 

"Where are we?" Bruce asked. 

"You're in the fifth dimension." 

"Mr. Myzyplik!" 

"...and don't forget me!" 

"Bat-mite!" 

"We teleported Joker back here after Robin accidentally stabbed him with that bang flag; we just didn't want to see anything happen to one of the best members of your rogues gallery. He's been staying with us ever since." 

"After we discovered you were really sick and would probably be dying soon, we decided to do the same thing to you. We didn't want to lose our favorite hero." 

"I appreciate the sentiment from you both, but my place is on Earth with my family, and if I die, I'm supposed to go to the after life. That's just the way things are. I imagine interfering with it could bring big consequences.

"...especially if the people who actually control the after life find out, right? I guess I have a fire pit with my name on it." 

"Technically, though, neither one of you are dead, and you don't have to die...ever."

"Batman, we could stay here for as long as time exists if we wanted to. It's an endless set of opportunities, of new beginnings. Take me, for instance, I haven't committed a single crime since I've been here. I haven't killed, maimed, or even destroyed property." 


End file.
